Ministry of Health (MOH) activated the Haze Subsidy Scheme from 16 September 2015. If the current haze caused you respiratory or eye problems, Singaporeans will pay no more than $10 at participating GP clinics for treatment of these conditions.

Who can qualify?

Those aged 18 and below or 65 and above, OR

Those earning a monthly income of $1,800 and below, OR

Those having cards such as Pioneer Generation card, CHAS card, PA card, etc.

This means those who are between 19 and 64 years old and his average monthly gross income is above $1,800 are not included in this subsidy scheme.

To assess the monthly income of an individual, one has to fill up a self-declaration form.

In a haze condition, it is a national issue. It affects everyone regardless of whether you can pay to visit a GP. Shouldn’t this subsidy be open to all? The doctor will be the one to assess whether a medical condition is caused by the haze. So it will not open the floodgate for unrelated visits to GPs because of the subsidy. The suggestion for all Singaporeans to be covered in this Haze Subsidy Scheme is to send a signal that the government cares for all regardless whether the person can afford to pay or not. This is part of Total Defence, isn’t it?